Knitting-machine



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R 0 N N E B KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 557,638. Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

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No. 557,638. Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

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J. BENNOR. KNITTING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. '7 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BENNOR, OF MACON, GEORGIA.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 557,638, dated April '7', 1896.

Application filed June 28, 1894. Serial No. 515,911. (No model.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BENNOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Macon, in the county of Bibb and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in KnittingMachines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to straight-knitting machines, and more especially to the automatic type wherein are provisions for the knitting of stockings in connected series such, for example, as illustrated in the following Letters Patent of the United States, viz:

No. 440,389, dated November 11, 1890, and Nos. 485,316 and $5,317, dated November 1, 1892.

In the patented machines the knitting is commenced at the toe portion of the stocking and continued through the foot, heel, and leg portions thereof, following which another stocking is commenced and formed in like manner, and so on successively. The constructions are such that the foot, ankle, and leg of the stocking are of uniform width throughout, there being no provision for the formation of a contracted foot and ankle and a fashioned or gradually-widened leg, and in consequence the product of the machine has been confined to a comparatively common class of goods. To overcome this objection, I have devised novel mechanism of the character hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that the invention is not restricted to the particular means shown in the drawings, but that the same may be considerably varied in matters of construction and application without departing from the fair spirit of the invention.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a portion of a straightknitting machine embodying my invention, the section being outside of the left-hand follower in Fig. 2 and taken on a line through the end or inclined grooves of the needle-beds, with the cam-carriages thereon, the view be ing from the left in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation thereof, parts unnecessary to the understanding of the invention being omitted. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the needlebeds and their adjuncts, showing certain needles as depressed or idle. Fig. & is a plan of one of the said needle-beds. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, as on the line at a: of Fig.4, showing the grooved needle-operating plates in their outward or retracted position to maintain the end needles in action. Fig. 6 is a similar section showing the said plates advanced inward to permit the proximate needles to be depressed out of action. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the said plates detached. Figs. 8 and 9 are sections of a modified construction of plate hereinafter referred to.

The numeral 1. represents the framework of the machine, 4. 5 the oppositely-inclined needle-beds thereon, and 6 the yoked cam-carriages that traverse the beds. These carriages are reciprocated lengthwise of the beds by means of a positively-driven crank-wheel 10 through the medium of a pitman connected with the yoke of the carriages.

17 is a longitudinal shaft supported in the end heads of the framework and geared with a stud or shaft 12, to which the power is ap plied. It is also geared at one end with the vertical shaft 11, which supports the crankwheel, in order to impel said latter shaft. 011 the opposite end of the shaft 17 is a sprocketwheel 18, to which a step-by-step movement is imparted by mechanism such as the relatively-disposed cam 23, pawl 25, and ratchetwheel21t shown. On this wheel is the pattern-chain 28 with appropriate links to con trol the various operations of the machine. Mounted in and between the end heads is a shaft 53, one end of which is extended outward and is provided with a bevel gear-wheel 5i. This wheel engages two similar wheels 56, loosely mounted on the vertical shaft, which latter wheels may be alternately fixed to and released from the shaft by means of an interposed clutch 57, that is connected with one end of a longitudinal shaft 58 under the control of the pattern-chain. On the opposite end of the shaft 58 is a depending arm 59, that bears upon the upper end of a lever 59 resting with yielding pressure upon the chain- IOO rides upon a medium link the clutch will be thrown into its original or intermediate position, in which case it will be disengaged from the wheels and the shaft will be at rest. Splined to and longitudinally movable on the shaft 53 are two oppositely-pitched screws 61, which work in internally-threaded nuts or bosses 63 fixed to the inner faces of the end heads, whereby the said screws will be moved toward or away from each otherin accordance with the direction of rotation of their shaft.

Guided on a fixed shaft 64:, parallel with and adjacent to the shaft 53, are two vertical plates or followers 65, that are provided with flanged bosses 66, which are fitted to circumferential grooves on the headed ends of the screws,whereby the followers will be impelled correspondingly with the screws. Fulcrumed on the shaft (54, contiguous to the inner faces of the plates, are two levers 6E) 69, respectively, the longer arms of which extend diagonally to or near to the under side of the needle-bed 4E and are provided with recessed plates 72, and the shorter arms of which extend to and against the end heads of the screws, respectively. These shorter arms are bifurcated and are engaged by rollers or wristpins '70 011 the ends of the screws, whereby when the said shaft and screws are rotated the levers will be oscillated during their 1011- gitudinal traverse.

D D denote the vibratory spring-controlled sinkers supported in longitudinally-disposed frames fixed along the opposed edges of the needlebeds, respectively, and D D denote the respective cams for actuating thesinkers, said cams being connected with and impelled by the reciprocating cam-carriages 6 6.

E E indicate the spring-pressure bits, which bear upon the individual needles, said bits being fitted to kerfs in the back bars of the sinker-frames and being yieldingly depressed by the action of suitably-disposed spiral springs. No detailed description of the parts last referred to is necessary herein, as the same are fully set forth in my United States Patent No. 490,648, dated June 13, 1893, to which reference may be had.

Respecting the parts previously described herein, they are more especially set forth in my Patent No. $85,317, above mentioned. Their operation, briefly stated, is as follows:

At the outset the knitting-cams are thrown into active position, and they are moved one stroke to throw upward simultaneously the needles in both beds. Yarn being delivered to the needles, the cams in the reverse stroke retract the needles, with the yarn. The cams are then moved into the tube-knitting position and a round of stitches is formed. One set of cams is then maintained out of action and the knitting to and fro is carried on by the other or active set on the bed, the end needles thereof being alternately thrown out of action by the advancement of the oscillating levers, so as to produce a gradually-narrowed web the desired length of the toepouch, whereupon the outthrown needles are returned to action in inverse order by the return movement of the oscillating levers. There is thus formed a toe-pouch. Both sets of cams are then thrown into the tube'knitting positions and the formation of the foot is effected. The heel-pouch is then formed similarly to the toe, following which the leg is formed similarly to the foot. This done, the operation is repeated with a like result, and so on successively.

The foot, the ankle, and the leg portions of the stockings thus produced are of uniform width throughout, in view of the fact that the same number of needles were used in knitting the several parts. In order to provide for the production of a web in which the foot and the ankle or lower portion of the web may be contracted in respect to the upper portion of the leg, or, in other words, to produce a fashioned stocking or a web that may be readily converted thereto, I have devised the following-described construction: A number of the needle-grooves at each end of each needle-bed are beveled downwardly from the top toward the bottom in order to permit the needles therein to be raised and lowered in amanner to throw their heels into and below the paths of the knitting-cams at predetermined intervals, as hereinafter described. The said needles at each end are equal in number to one-quarter of the difference between those required for the formation of the ankle or narrow portion of the leg and those required for the formation of the upper or wide portion of the leg-that is to say, if there are one hundred needles in the machine, fifty in each bed, and there are seventy-six stitches required in each course of the foot and ankle portions of the stocking, then there are six vibratory needles at each end of each bed.

In each needle-bed, beneath the beveled needle-grooves therein, are cut ways a, that intersect said grooves, to each of which ways is fitted a longitudinally-movable plate A,whose upper surface is provided with a series of grooves ct corresponding with those of the inclined needle-grooves. The tops of the ribs between the grooves in the plate occupy the same plane as the bottoms of the straight needle -grooves, while the bottoms of the grooves in the plate occupy the same plane as the bottoms of the deeper grooves, to the end that when the plate is in position tosupport the proximate needles upon the ribs the heels of said needles are maintained in the path of the knitting-cams, and when the plate is moved to permit the needles to register with the grooves their heels lie below the path of the cams, the needles being positively depressed into the grooves by the action of the spring-controlled bits E thereon or other equivalent means. Hence by reciprocating Those sides of the grooves that bear against the needles, while raising the latter, are inclined, as at 0. so as to facilitate the operation. A suitably-disposed spring tends to move the plate inward to maintain the grooves normally in register with the needles. In the present instance there is used a spiral spring interposed between lugs ct (t depending from the needle-bed and the outer end of the plate, respectively, said plate being provided with a rigid guide-pin (L6, that extends into a perforation in the lug and supports the spring. A screw 0 connects the inner end of the plate with the needle-bed, the screw-hole in the plate being elongated to permit the requisite movement of the plate. Fixed to the side of each of the traversing plates or followers are two arms a that extend beneath the opposite needle-beds, respectively, in a manner to act against the inner sides of the lugs on the respective platesthat is to say, when the followers are moved outward to their extreme limit the arms a force the plates correspondingly outward against the stress of the springs a, thereby maintaining the vibratory needles in action. lVhen, however, the followers are moved inward, the plates, being advancedby their springs, return to their inward position, and thus permit the needles-to be rendered idle, as above described.

Normally the two followers 65 are in the extreme outward positions, and in consequence the end needles are in action. At the beginning of the knitting operation the shaft is rotated, say, one revolution, to move forward the followers sufficiently to permit the needles to become inactive, an appropriate link on the pattern-chain determining this operation. The remaining or active needles are then operated as formerly to knit the toe, the foot, the heel, and the ankle or narrow portion of the, leg, the oscillating levers on the followers during the knitting of the toe and heel acting upon the active end needles of the bed, as heretofore.

During the widening of the heel and toe parts the followers move outwardly sufficiently to permit the action of the levers on the active needles, but not sufficiently to permit the arms a to act on the grooved plates. hen the narrow portion of the leg has been formed, the inactive end needles are moved simultaneously into action by returning the followers to their extreme outward positions above explained. The remainder of the leg is then formed in the usual manner by means of all the needles on both beds. This being completed, the web is cast off from the needles as usual, and the foregoing-described operation is repeated, and so on successively. In

the web thus produced there is an open projecting portion in each side of the leg at the parts where the end needles were thrown into action,which projecting porti0n,when the web is removed from the machine, is cut off diagonally with the lateral edge of the leg portion, and the gap or slit is sewed or otherwise closed. 1

So far as the stocking and the mode of operation are concerned, the same form the subject of Letters Patent of the United States No. 53%,2i8, granted to me February 19, 1895.

In order to prevent the engagement of the yarn by the end sinkers when their coacting needles are out of operation, as above described, I provide means whereby the said sinkers are thrown out of action simultaneously with the needles. In this instance such means is substantially the same in construction and operation as the means for controlling the needles-that is to say, there is arranged at the upper end of each needlebed, beneath each series of sinkers, a grooved spring-actuated plate A, provided with a depending lug, against the inner face of which a vertically-rising arm A secured to the ad jacent follower, is adapted to operate. The upper end of the arm is constructed to act upon the two adjacent plates A on the two beds. This arm is preferably made integral with the arms a and the whole secured to the follower, as illustrated.

The grooves are so arranged in the plates A that they lie directly beneath the tails of the sinkers when the end needles are in action, so as to permit the requisite oscillations of the sinkers. YVhen the followers are moved inward-to effect the throwing of said needles out of action, the springs force the plates A inwardly simultaneously in a manner to move the ribs of the plates beneath the tails of the sinkers, and thus raise the latter out of action.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have illustrated a modification of one of the needle-operating plates. This plate is constructed with two acting surfaces a: .2, arranged in different horizontal planes and connected by a beveled or inclined portion '1, whereby the end needles, which rest while in action upon the raised surface, may be moved successively out of action by advancing the plate step by step, and which needles may subsequently be returned to their active position by similarly retracting the plate. In Fig. 8 the end needles are represented as in action-i. e., supported upon the raised portion of the plate-and in Fig. 9 they are represented as out of action-i. 8., supported upon the depressed surface of the plate.

During the operation of returning the needles to action, if the yarnbe delivered thereto the web will be gradually widened, thereby obviating the necessity of trimming the sides of the web which would otherwise project. By retracting the plate at the end of each second, third, or fourth course the lateral lines of widening may be more or less exof each bed being laterallymovable in respect to the bed, of a support for each set of needles to maintain them temporarily in action, a screw, a follower thereon, and a connection between said follower and the needle-support, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the needle-beds, their needles, the cam-carriers and their cams, a predetermined numb er of needles at theends of each bed being laterally movable in respect to the bed, of a support for each set of end needles, to maintain them temporarily in action, a screw, afollower thereon, a connection between said follower and the needle-support, and provisions on said follower for throwing certain of the remaining needles out of and into action at certainintervals, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the needle-beds, their needles,the cam-carriers, their cams, the sinkers and their supporting and operating parts, of provisions whereby a predetermined number of needles at the ends of the needlebeds respectively, and their coacting sinkers, may be rendered idle and active at predetermined intervals, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the needle-beds, their needles, the ca1n-carriers,their cams, the sinkers, and their supporting; and operating parts, of devices for temporarily supporting out of action a predetermined number of sinkers at the adjacent ends of the beds respectively, and means for operating said supporting devices to permit said sinkers to become active, substantially as described,

5. The combination of the needle-beds, their needles, the camcarriers, their cams, the sinkers and their supporting and operating' parts, of a support for a series of sinkers at each end of each needle-bed to maintain them temporarily inactive, oppositely-pitched screws, followers thereon, and connections between said followers and the sinker-supports, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed mysignature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH BENNOR.

lVitnesses:

JOHN R. NOLAN, JEssE B. HELLER. 

